Cape Town Archbishop Advocates for Animal Welfare

The renowned human-rights leader Desmond Tutu says people should speak out against the injustices done to animals.

Nobel Peace Prize recipient and human rights champion Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town, South Africa, has called on people to consider the well-being of all their fellow beings, including animals. In a foreword for the Global Guide to Animal Protection, released in late December, Tutu urges readers to speak out against the injustices that are perpetrated against the four-legged creatures of the world. “I have seen firsthand how injustice gets overlooked when the victims are powerless or vulnerable, when they have no one to speak up for them,” remarks Tutu. “Animals are in precisely that position. Unless we are mindful of their interests and speak out loudly on their behalf, abuse and cruelty go unchallenged.” Tutu also writes that there are theological implications for treating animals with kindness, and that the world was not created solely for humans.